diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui.tests/ui/org/eclipse/cdt/ui/tests/text/SemanticHighlightingTest.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui.tests/ui/org/eclipse/cdt/ui/tests/text/SemanticHighlightingTest.java
index e986136104a..84eaf335357 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui.tests/ui/org/eclipse/cdt/ui/tests/text/SemanticHighlightingTest.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui.tests/ui/org/eclipse/cdt/ui/tests/text/SemanticHighlightingTest.java
@@ -626,4 +626,12 @@ public class SemanticHighlightingTest extends TestCase {
     public void testVariablePassedByNonconstRef_487764b() throws Exception {
     	makeAssertions();
     }
+    
+    //	void foo(int* const &);                          //$functionDeclaration
+    //	void bar(int* waldo) {                           //$functionDeclaration,parameterVariable
+    //		foo(waldo);                                  //$function,parameterVariable
+    //	}
+    public void testReferenceToConstPointer_509619() throws Exception {
+    	makeAssertions();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/ui/editor/SemanticHighlightings.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/ui/editor/SemanticHighlightings.java
index 402325869c1..0142dae25c3 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/ui/editor/SemanticHighlightings.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/ui/editor/SemanticHighlightings.java
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.IFunction;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.ILabel;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.IMacroBinding;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.IParameter;
+import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.IPointerType;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.IProblemBinding;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.IQualifierType;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.IScope;
@@ -1711,8 +1712,12 @@ public class SemanticHighlightings {
 				if (referredType instanceof IArrayType) {
 					referredType = ((IArrayType) referredType).getType();
 				}
-				boolean isConstRef = (referredType instanceof IQualifierType) &&
-						             ((IQualifierType) referredType).isConst();
+				boolean isConstRef = false;
+				if (referredType instanceof IQualifierType) {
+		            isConstRef = ((IQualifierType) referredType).isConst();
+				} else if (referredType instanceof IPointerType) {
+					isConstRef = ((IPointerType) referredType).isConst();
+				}
 				return !isConstRef;
 			}
 			return false;